Mr. Creepy Rates Hollywood's Latest Cheese!
Monday, December 26, 2005
Rental (sort of): Troy
3. Blockbuster sent me a coupon for a free previously viewed movie from a short list of DVDs they apparently have warehouses full of. So I chose Troy, as I hadn't seen it yet. A touch long (2h 40m) and paced a little slow. While I'm sure he looked nice to the chicks, Brad Pitt just didn't sell the role to me... He was always "Brad Pitt pretending to be Achiles." Eric Bana was good as Hector. And it was nice to see Peter O'toole in something. (He played it old school, which worked fine for King Priam.) Wish they'd found someone more appropriate for Helen, though who could undisputedly play "the woman who launched a thousand ships"? The fight scenes were very well choreographed. Maybe I should have chosen The Grudge, but it was enjoyable.... more enjoyable than Ishtar. ¶ 9:13 PM 0 comments
3. Blockbuster sent me a coupon for a free previously viewed movie from a short list of DVDs they apparently have warehouses full of. So I chose Troy, as I hadn't seen it yet. A touch long (2h 40m) and paced a little slow. While I'm sure he looked nice to the chicks, Brad Pitt just didn't sell the role to me... He was always "Brad Pitt pretending to be Achiles." Eric Bana was good as Hector. And it was nice to see Peter O'toole in something. (He played it old school, which worked fine for King Priam.) Wish they'd found someone more appropriate for Helen, though who could undisputedly play "the woman who launched a thousand ships"? The fight scenes were very well choreographed. Maybe I should have chosen The Grudge, but it was enjoyable.... more enjoyable than Ishtar. ¶ 9:13 PM 0 comments
Rental: Coach Carter
5. Samuel L. Jackson is almost on that personal list of actors whose movies I'll go see no matter what they are. I took a pass on this in the theaters, mainly because I had other stuff to do, but I wouldn't have been disappointed if I'd seen a nice matinee. It's one of those uplifting movies that make you think there must really be people in the world like this (there aren't) and that someday they'll change the world (they won't). It's kind of the same feeling I got watching the first few seasons of West Wing. When Blockbuster has a nice sale, pick this up. ¶ 8:56 PM 0 comments
5. Samuel L. Jackson is almost on that personal list of actors whose movies I'll go see no matter what they are. I took a pass on this in the theaters, mainly because I had other stuff to do, but I wouldn't have been disappointed if I'd seen a nice matinee. It's one of those uplifting movies that make you think there must really be people in the world like this (there aren't) and that someday they'll change the world (they won't). It's kind of the same feeling I got watching the first few seasons of West Wing. When Blockbuster has a nice sale, pick this up. ¶ 8:56 PM 0 comments
Rental: Spanglish
1. I've always had a weakness for comedians in dramatic roles ...as well as one for Penelope Cruz. But both these actors, as well as Tea Leoni, couldn't elevate this movie beyond bored, late-night fare. In the end, I was left with the feeling of "so what was the point?" ¶ 8:49 PM 0 comments
1. I've always had a weakness for comedians in dramatic roles ...as well as one for Penelope Cruz. But both these actors, as well as Tea Leoni, couldn't elevate this movie beyond bored, late-night fare. In the end, I was left with the feeling of "so what was the point?" ¶ 8:49 PM 0 comments
Rental: The Interpreter
0. Had a night in at the movies last week. One rental was The Interpreter. I now wish it hadn't been. What a flaming disappointment and waste of a promising story concept (as well as 5 bucks and 2 hours of my life). This is yet another of those movies that proves the rule that you can get as many quality actors as you want, but if the script is poo, the actors will not elevate the movie above that status. Do yourself a favor... Watch the trailer, imagine what an interesting movie this could be.... then go watch something else, secure in the knowledge that what you just imaged was much better than the actual movie. ¶ 8:40 PM 0 comments
0. Had a night in at the movies last week. One rental was The Interpreter. I now wish it hadn't been. What a flaming disappointment and waste of a promising story concept (as well as 5 bucks and 2 hours of my life). This is yet another of those movies that proves the rule that you can get as many quality actors as you want, but if the script is poo, the actors will not elevate the movie above that status. Do yourself a favor... Watch the trailer, imagine what an interesting movie this could be.... then go watch something else, secure in the knowledge that what you just imaged was much better than the actual movie. ¶ 8:40 PM 0 comments
King Kong
10. A soft 10, perhaps, as you may not need to see this several times in the theater, but by god, I'd be happy to sit through this 3 hour & 40 minute bladder buster two or three times, and I'll probably want the Directorzilla Edition DVD.
I was prepared to say Peter Jackson was a one-trick pony with the Lord of the Rings trilogy (certainly a 10 on the MC Scale, btw), but he clearly proves he has a creative eye and perfect perception of production depth with King Kong. This thing embodies the word "spectacle" (and I suppose, by extension, "spectacular"). I've seen a lot of movies in my days, and I've gotten pretty jaded to cinematic magic, but Jackson produces a sense of scale and vertigo in this film that had me checking my balancing in my seat... many times. I feel enriched knowing I have seen a version of Kong, dedicated to the original story, done as well as it will ever be done.
Naomi Watts is terrific and deserves an Oscar nod come January (though she probably won't get one). Adrien Brody is.... good. While I like Jack Black as a comedic actor, he's really miscast in this film. (The story behind his casting, that he was cast at the insistance of Jackson's children, is somewhat infurating.... I smell the distinctive tang of George Lucas.) A more serious actor would have done the role better service. (I don't know who exactly ....Anthony Hopkins? ....Steve Buschemi? ....Philip Seymour Hoffman?)
Don't be lured into seeing this film based on the advertising that it's as much a romance as a monster flick. (It's not. By any stretch of the imagination.) Go see it because it's fantastic.
¶ 8:03 PM 0 comments
10. A soft 10, perhaps, as you may not need to see this several times in the theater, but by god, I'd be happy to sit through this 3 hour & 40 minute bladder buster two or three times, and I'll probably want the Directorzilla Edition DVD.
I was prepared to say Peter Jackson was a one-trick pony with the Lord of the Rings trilogy (certainly a 10 on the MC Scale, btw), but he clearly proves he has a creative eye and perfect perception of production depth with King Kong. This thing embodies the word "spectacle" (and I suppose, by extension, "spectacular"). I've seen a lot of movies in my days, and I've gotten pretty jaded to cinematic magic, but Jackson produces a sense of scale and vertigo in this film that had me checking my balancing in my seat... many times. I feel enriched knowing I have seen a version of Kong, dedicated to the original story, done as well as it will ever be done.
Naomi Watts is terrific and deserves an Oscar nod come January (though she probably won't get one). Adrien Brody is.... good. While I like Jack Black as a comedic actor, he's really miscast in this film. (The story behind his casting, that he was cast at the insistance of Jackson's children, is somewhat infurating.... I smell the distinctive tang of George Lucas.) A more serious actor would have done the role better service. (I don't know who exactly ....Anthony Hopkins? ....Steve Buschemi? ....Philip Seymour Hoffman?)
Don't be lured into seeing this film based on the advertising that it's as much a romance as a monster flick. (It's not. By any stretch of the imagination.) Go see it because it's fantastic.
¶ 8:03 PM 0 comments
The Chronicles of Narnia
8. Best performance by a beaver in a dramatic role. No, really. I was impressed. If Lucas had waited a few years for this level of virtual emotion-conveying CGI technology before doing his godawful Star Wars prequels, they might have been much better.
Naaah.
Maybe I was predisposed to it by all the media hype, but the religious overtones rubbed me wrong throughout movie. If I'm in the mood to have that in my face at the theater, I'll see Passion of the Christ. Anyway.... not fantastic, but a solid film, worth seeing. ¶ 7:48 PM 0 comments
8. Best performance by a beaver in a dramatic role. No, really. I was impressed. If Lucas had waited a few years for this level of virtual emotion-conveying CGI technology before doing his godawful Star Wars prequels, they might have been much better.
Naaah.
Maybe I was predisposed to it by all the media hype, but the religious overtones rubbed me wrong throughout movie. If I'm in the mood to have that in my face at the theater, I'll see Passion of the Christ. Anyway.... not fantastic, but a solid film, worth seeing. ¶ 7:48 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
